Over the past decade, the NFC East has been a picture of inconsistency. There hasn’t been a back-to-back division winner since the Eagles did it four times in a row from 2001-2004. Flash forward to the present, and just last season Philadelphia fired Chip Kelly. In three years as their head coach, Kelly went 10-6, 10-6 and 6-9, for a combined record of 26-21. Eagles fans turned on Kelly almost immediately when he traded away favorites like WR DeSean Jackson, RB LeSean McCoy and QB Nick Foles.
As voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) wrap up this month, offensive sparkplug Darren Sproles and defensive menace Fletcher Cox have stayed home. With the veterans gone, running backs like Kenjon Barner and Wendell Smallwood, and defensive linemen Beau Allen and Taylor Hart, have a chance to impress. New head coach Doug Pederson and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz are introducing new systems on both sides of the ball.
[bibblio style=”bib–default bib–hover bib–white-label bib–row-2 bib–title-only bib–size-16 bib–font-arial” query_string_params=”e30=” recommendation_type=”optimised”]
On defense, the former Detroit Lions head coach has a seemingly solid roster up front with some depth in the secondary. Still, questions about linebacker depth behind Najee Goode and the rest loom for a defense that was statistically middle of the road in 2015. The Giants, Cowboys, and Washington all seem to have made upgrades to their offenses, so it will be a great challenge for Schwartz to keep those teams under 21 points per game.
On offense, the Eagles retained one quarterback (starter Sam Bradford), then signed a second (Chase Daniel) and drafted a third (Carson Wentz). Bradford finished 2015 with 19 TDs and an 86.4 Passer Rating. When the Eagles moved up to draft Carson Wentz, Bradford was upset and initially wanted a trade, but has since apologized and reported to their training facilities. Fans and former players “ripped” Bradford for his actions; his leadership and competitive desire were called into question. But realistically, Bradford signed a 2-year deal, so it wasn’t like he was looking to be in Philly long-term.
Unlike most years, fourth quarters of upcoming pre-season games will be must-see TV, with the rookie Wentz seemingly getting lots of snaps. The pride of Bismarck, North Dakota has reportedly outplayed his QB teammates in OTAs, but he still has a long road ahead to prove – at some point once Bradford is gone, sits or gets injured, this will be Wentz’s team. The pre-season hasn’t started yet and the Eagles already have new leadership, new schemes on both sides of the ball and a quarterback controversy.
Philadelphia fans are as passionate about their team as any city in the country. Though Eagles fans may not want to hear it, we have to be patient; it is going to take time to build up this roster, and time for this coaching staff to get players acclimated to their system. If Bradford struggles early, look for Wentz to take over midway through the season. The good news is the NFC East division is always up for grabs. If one team gets hot late in the season, they can claim the division. Either way, the Wentz era has begun.
For more Philadelphia sports coverage, follow Michael Collazo on Twitter @MCollazo215.
Hero (Top) Feature Image: © Allen Kee / ESPN Images
Additional Image Courtesy: Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images
